As we all know during this shut down, we all have some time on our hands and many of us are suffering from cabin fever. Rose and Doc hope you are taking advantage with some practice to keep what you learned from the classes. Here are some suggestions:
Practice frequently but do not over do it. If you are rolling the dice many times–30, 40, 50 or more at a session, you may be getting tired and ingraining some bad habits into your grip and your throw. Keep the times brief and limit yourself to a limited number of times a day. With long sessions you will get tired and this can hurt any advantage you may have developed.
The grip. As Dom says, “the only time you have 100% control over the dice is when they are in your hand. Once the dice roll off your finger tips, the physics and math of the game take over and the house vig can win your money if you are not careful.” Use the gripper to insure the thumb is a little lower than the front fingers, the 3 fingers are straight across the front of the dice, the thumb and middle finger are centered on the dice, so that the dice will have some back spin and stay together. AND always have a very light grip.
Use the “No Field Five” drill so that you can feel in your mind that your swing is straight down the table and the 3 fingers are level with the top of the table. If your fingers are not level to the table, the dice will land at an angle and you may well see the dice bouncing to the right or left and your throw at best is random.
Here are a few examples we have had to correct during our practices:
1. At one point, Doc was having a lot of trouble with way too many sevens. He called Rose over and she immediately caught several imperfections:
A. Doc has some arthritis in his neck and was having some trouble targeting; so, he was shifting his left shoulders slightly to see the target better. As a result he was also twisting his hand a little as well causing him to throw the dice at a bit of an angle. Solution–adjust the shoulder as needed, but after this adjustment, look down and check the level of the dice. Make any body adjustments before looking at the target. No movements with your body once you look forward at the target and are ready for the short back swing. After this adjustment, the dice began to hit the back wall straight and eliminate a lot of 7’s and horn numbers.
B. Having the dice hit too close to the back wall (or actually hitting the back wall first) causing the dice to go all over the place. Solution–take a much shorter slow back swing, swing forward and dice would hit the table top a few inches from the back wall, bounce softly to the back wall, and not bounce all over the place. DUH–such a simple solution.
How these things worked their way into his throw, he’ll never know, but they did. He was just not taking care with his grip and throw. All of us will have some of these flaws work into our grip and throw. So self critique at all times and come to a class weekend where you can get critiques, hopefully before the end of the year.
Review both your notes from the class and the GTC Manual you received during class. They will be of great value to you.
Bottom line, practice is not the same as in the casino. Use the time wisely so that good habits are ingrained into your throw.
Best of luck to every one in and out of the casinos as we move forward during these trying times.
Doc & Rose
Replies:
Posted by: Dominator on May 9, 2020, 7:50 pm
Love this post Doc!
Dom
Posted by: Goddess on May 11, 2020, 5:21 pm
Having a partner to watch our throws, is certainly ideal. However, since I don’t have a partner since Sandtrap passed away in July, here is what I do, if I don’t like the results of my dice.
I start by checking my grip in the bathroom mirror. I can also check my back swing in the mirror. When I am satisfied with this step, then I continue:
I have a floor length mirror at the end of my receiving station, positioned such that I can see my release and follow through at the finish of my toss.
Practicing this way, my toss has remained fairly consistent. I also practice in the casino room before going downstairs. If I take a break and go back to my room, I practice again before returning to the table. The mirrors in the room work just like at home, for me.
Good Rolling.
Goddess
Posted by: Dr Crapology on May 11, 2020, 9:42 pm
Goddess, great ideas for those who do not have a partner to watch them. Rose and Doc use your techniques when one of us is practicing alone and the other is out or busy doing something else.
Rose and Doc
Posted by: CliffM1 on May 11, 2020, 11:15 pm
I have started using a GoPro camera or a cell phone to video my throw.
It is amazing how I thought my grip and toss were good, but when you see it in slow motion video it brings out all the little problems. My biggest issues where not having the dice square to table at the start of my throw and also my release was out of whack.
Posted by: BucksterK on May 13, 2020, 4:18 am
Dear Doc & Rose:
In your post, you said:
Use the “No Field Five” drill so that you can feel in your mind that your swing is straight down the table and the 3 fingers are level with the top of the table.
We are not familiar with the “No Field Five” drill so can you please describe it?
Thanks so much,
BucksterK & Grandsport
Posted by: Dr Crapology on May 13, 2020, 1:33 pm
BuchsterK, thanks for asking as this could really be a good learning experience for others.
It is best to demonstrate in person during a class weekend, but here goes a quick illustration of what you want to see and feel. For reference this drill was developed by none other than GTC’s own great “No Field Five”.
First of all, as you always do in practice, set the dice (a hardway set), get a correct 3 finger grip as taught in class and get the dice level to the floor of the table and all sides of the table before you begin your throw.
For the purposes of this drill, you will not target. You will not look toward the far end of the table. You will not actually throw the dice. You continue to look straight down at your dice so that you will be looking at your short back swing to make sure it is straight back (don’t curl up but straight back and as level as possible) and keep looking down as you slowly swing forward and as your arm is extended forward you will still be looking down. YOU DO NOT RELEASE THE DICE. Since you are still looking down you want to “see/feel in your mind” the pendulum swing (out and straight out no higher than your shoulder height – don’t pull up as you go forward — stay in the shot), at that point when your arm is extended, the dice are level to the bottom of the table. If your finger tips are not level to the table, the dice will come off at an angle making the dice land on their corners resulting in the dice heading to the left or right and bounce all over the place. This of course makes the dice random and resulting in a larger number of 7’s.
Once you have completed your slow swing, then and only then do you look at the dice in your fingers to see that the dice are level to the table. Remember (and it bares repeating) that prior to looking to see if the dice are level, you want, in your mind, to be able to feel the dice level to the table. Ingrain this in your mind.
After you do this routine several times, take several practice throws targeting, making the complete throw and holding your hand position until the dice land on the table. You should get a good idea if you have a shot that goes straight back, straight forward, lands softly, hits the back wall, bounces straight back. and comes to rest.
Hopefully we will have the opportunity to see you at a class weekend once this “shut down” is complete and work with you. Of course we have no way of knowing when things will once again open up but we’re keeping everything as positive as possible. Craps will be fun again!
Hope to see you soon.
Rose and Doc
Posted by: Chevy on May 29, 2020, 2:51 am
Hi Doc and Rose,
Thanks for your very valuable post. I have not been on the Forum for a while due to work responsibilities. Both my Wife and I were able to retire to Henderson, NV as of 4/20/2020, and getting my table setup, this is leaving me a lot more time to practice. With casinos here still closed (until next Thursday), I have had a lot of time to practice my shot. I found I was having some of the same symptoms the Doc was having, lots of 7’s and horn numbers, very few on-axis or hardways. I checked and I too was off on my alignment to the table. My left shoulder was a bit forward causing me to aim the dice straight to the “mixing bowl” / corner of the table. I also checked the alignment of my dice to the table surface and I found my dice were not aligned “flat” to the table surface. I fixed the shoulder alignment first and then made sure the dice were aligned flat to the table surface. I am seeing a lot more on-axis and hard way results plus, my SRR is finally heading the right direction. Thank you for your post as it not only helped Doc but me as well!!!
— Chevy
Posted by: Dr Crapology on May 29, 2020, 11:29 am
Great self analysis of any problems that might develop in your throw. Keep up the good work.
Rose and Doc
